In this article, Anthony Tormey, CEO of Leader Development Institute (LDi), explores the importance of service as a core value in leadership. He discusses how prioritizing service builds trust, strengthens teams, and drives long-term success for both leaders and organizations.
Besides sharing general articles on Values-Based Leadership, one of the tenets of organizational core values I discuss is actively talking about them in the workplace. Make them a part of the weekly staff meeting, during performance reviews, and when recognizing—or disciplining employees. Today’s article is about Service.
Organizations with Service as a Core Value:
- Zappos - "Deliver WOW through Service"
- US Air Force – "Service Before Self"
- Southwest Airlines – "Service with a Servant's Heart"
- Apple – "Service is a Major Pillar of the Experience"
- National Park Service (NPS) – "Serving the Public"
Associated Values
When sharing, or discussing values, it’s helpful to use other terms to help explain and clarify the value you are discussing. These values help to reinforce a service-oriented mindset.
- Commitment – Dedication to delivering consistent, reliable, and high-quality service.
- Empathy – Understanding and addressing the needs and emotions of others, which is crucial in a service role.
- Teamwork – Collaborating effectively with others to provide better service or to achieve common goals.
- Humility – Serving others selflessly without seeking personal recognition.
Why "Service" is Important
When discussing “Service” as an organizational core value, it’s essential to express why it matters to you personally. Doing so not only personalizes the value but also demonstrates your commitment and helps others understand how it shapes your actions, decisions, and leadership style. It also sets a clear expectation of why it should matter for them as well.
Service is a critical core value for both leaders and organizations because it fosters a culture of selflessness, commitment, and purpose. Leaders who prioritize service put the needs of their team, customers, and stakeholders first, building trust and strengthening relationships. This value encourages leaders to act with empathy, humility, and accountability, ensuring that decisions are made for the greater good rather than personal gain. Within the organization, a service-driven culture boosts collaboration, improves morale, and drives long-term success, as employees feel supported and motivated to contribute to a larger mission. Ultimately, service aligns leadership and organizational goals toward creating a meaningful impact.
Anchor the Value with a Story
The story can be personal, work-related, from history, a parable, a movie, or a song.
We can all think of good examples of customer service, but I’d like to take you in a different direction. A while back, I was training supervisors at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. During the discussion on leading employees, many participants complained about difficult workers and how they would try to get them reassigned to other departments to make their own lives easier. But not Carl. Carl took a servant-leader approach.
Carl supervised the aircraft wash rack for large aircrafts—we’re talking bombers, cargo, and other airline-size planes. You’re wearing a rubber suit, water, soap, and dirt pouring down on you. In the winter it’s freezing, your fingers are numb, in the summer it’s a sauna in that suit. Quite frankly it’s an entry-level, miserable job. You can imagine it wasn’t a popular job.
Unlike his peers who got rid of their worst employees, Carl took service to his employees in a different way. Rather than keeping his best employees, the ones who did excellent work, helped the slackers, and never complained, Carl went out of his way to find other jobs that would afford them increased opportunities and would get them reassigned. Of course, he had to deal with the poor performers longer, but like a values-led leader, it worked out in his favor. New employees became aware of Carl's values and his commitment to his employees, his empathy for their situation, and his willingness to help the best ones get new jobs—and stepped up to the task knowing Carl would help them into better jobs.
Carl’s leadership, rooted in service and values, paid off. Word spread among new employees about his commitment, empathy, and willingness to help good workers advance. They knew that if they performed well, Carl would help them move into better roles. As a result, his team stepped up, and while it may have seemed like Carl was losing his best workers, he was actually building a team of exceptional ones. In the long run, he helped develop good employees and exceptional future leaders for the Air Force.
I encourage you to be that servant leader—at home, at work, and in your community.
“Great opportunities to help others seldom come. But small ones surround us every day.” – Sally Koch, Author
Be Extraordinary!
Anthony Tormey, President & CEO
Leader Development Institute (LDi)
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Successful people live by a set of closely followed rules and values, have you read LDi’s Rules for Success? These rules will help you hone in on the best success practices that benefit you in all areas of your life, personal and professional. You can find LDi’s Rules for Success HERE.
